Hunting Blackstalkers

[Mrrew]

South Iri​

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Xavier and Charlie Mgoo​

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When his grandfather accepted a contract from the Beast Hunter's Guild for a rare species found at random parts of the galaxy, Charlie began researcing for where to find them. It didn't take long for him to find a plee for help across the holonet, from a farmer on Iri who was having severe problems with a pack of the creatures picking off his bantha herd. He oculdn't believe his luck. They'd be able to fufill the contract, earning 86,00 credits in the process, as well as help somebody that needed it. So before long, the pair's small freighter was en route to Iri. Their protocol droid, Henry as Charlie called him, shuffled around the back room, preparing the Chiru Rifle that the Guild had provided for the hunt.

 

[Mrrew]

The freighter jerked as it ended hyperspace over the upper atmosphere of Iri. They were here! Charlie smiled, and quiclky made his way to the front of the freighter, wehre his grandfather was steering the ship. Poorly. The ship jerked violently every few seconds as it slowly descended into the planet's atmosphere. Within a few moments of stumbling, the young human lurched into the bridge, to see his grandfather in the pilot's seat, barely able to see over the controls. Of course, it dind't matter if he could or not, his flying skills would probably be about the same. Xavier squinted heavily as he stared through the lower few inches of the viewport, humming loudly, while his astrodroid worked rapidly, resetting the ship's course every time Xavier made a turn. No one ever said Xavier was a decent pilot, the fact that he was mostly blind didn't help, but he insisted on flying nontheless. So the little astrodroid hd much work to do.

 

[Mrrew]

Charlie smiled crookedly as he stepped over to his granndfather, who by now had graduated from humming to singing at the top of his lungs.

"Farewell and adieu to you Zeltron ladies! Farewell and adieu you ladies of Zeltros"

Xavier jerked the ship violently to the left as it soared over the forests of Iri, causing the astrodroid to beep frantically as he staedied the ship again.

"For we're under orders to sail back to Corusaunt! And we may never see you fair ladies again!"

Now the ship nosedived towards a huge herd of Banthas, all contained by a high fence. They'd reached the farm.

"Pull up, pull up grandpa!"

Xavier responded by quickly jerking bakc on the throttle of the ship, causing it to fly back into the air, while the satrodroid screamed in binary.

After a few more minuters of that, the droid begun the landing procedures of the ship, and the freighter soon landed in the middle fo the wide field of Bnathas, while the bovine beasts grunted and bellowed at the new intrusion. It was time to get hunting.

 

[Mrrew]

Xavier and Charlie strolled down the freighter's ramp, while Xavier continued to sing at the top of his lungs, holding the loaned Chiru rifle in both hands.

"We'll rant and we'll roar, like true Coruscanti spacers!"

Xavier started wlaking into the middle of the field, until Charile grabbed his arm, and spun him around. The farmer had instructed them to leave through teh south gate of the Bantha pasture, that's where he said the Blackstalkers had been coming from. Xviaer walkewd in the right direction this time, and continued to sing like nothing hapepned.

"We'll rant and we'll roar across the star fields!"

Xavier nearly walked right into a rather large bull Bantha, who was grazing and watching the two curiously, until Charlie grabbed him by both shoulders and truned him again, towards the south gate.

"This way, grandpa."

"Until we feel the pull, of the core's great stars! From Zeltros to Corusaunt, 'tis a long way away"

While the two paraded through the Bnatha pasture, the beasts stared at the singing man. This was the most entertainment they'd had in years.

 

[Mrrew]

Before long, the pair got to the south gate, where a key was hanging from the lock mechnism. Xavier nearly walked striaght into the gate, before Charlie stretched out an arm, blocking him.

"One second grandpa, let me open it first..."

Xavier just kept singing.

"We hove the ship to the lanes to the north, my boys! Then we hove our ship to the great stars clear!"

Meanwhile, Charlie unlocked the gate with the metal key, slowly swinging it open with a creak.

"Come on grandpa... and be ready, they could be out here."

Xavier nodded with a smile in the general direction of his great great grandson, and cointued walking.

"So we start the main engines! And bore right away, my boys!"

Xavier sang louder then ever, and narrrowly avoided walking straight into the fence before CHarlie grabbed his arm, and led him into the forest. He had no idea how his grandfather shot straight enough to hunt, but if it got good credits...


"And straight up the port of Corusaunt we did steer!"

 

[Mrrew]

The two walked through the brush of Iri carefully. Wel, Charlie was careful. He spent his time guiding his grandfather by the arm, and trying to stick to the rough path, while Xavier almost ran into a tree every time he let go of his arm. That didn't dampen his mood, though.

"So the first land we made it, it is called Mersoo!"

Charlie stayed extremely alert,w atching the trees for any sign of movement, and constnatly reminding Xavier to keep his rifle ready. Meanwhile Xavier made more noise then anything in the forest.

"Next Amar, off Ambria, Hok Alderaan and Camaas!"

Charlie sighed, but cointued to lead his grandfather deeper and deeper into the forest. He just hoped he wouldn't regret it.

"We flew by Angarate, by stars, and Anaxes! And then bore away for 'Rusaunt Prime's light!"

 

[Mrrew]

There was a blur of movement in the trees, and Charlie had just enough time to think blackstalker before it leaped at them. Xavier didn't miss a beat. No sooner had he heard the leaves rustle, somehow over his own singing, had he raised the Chiru rifle and fired. A dart whisteled through the air, but only skimmed across the creature's shoulder, and glanced off the scales. It did howsever cause the creature to land prematurely, and drop tot ehg round rather then on Xavier's throat. The blackstalker was soon met by his mate, and the two began to circle Xavier, comepltely ignoring Charlie.

The old man continued to sing.

"Now the signal was made for the great ship to land now!"

The female blackstalker leaped at Xavier from the right.

"On your rigth, Grandpa!"

Charlie called, standing on the sidelines of the fight, and Xavier suddenly swung the rifle liek a baseball bat to his right, with speed that no man as old as heshould have. The blackstalker hit the ground with a thud, as Xavier held the rifle correctly once more, and conitnued to sing.

"All in the galley that night for to meet..."

"In front of you!"

Charlie yelled, just as the male Blackstalker leapedagain for Xavier's throat. Without misisng a beat, the old man raised the rifle and fired directly in front of him. The needle easily punctured the creature's scales now that it was a direct shot, and it fell to the ground at Xavier's feet, asleep in seconds. Now his mate growled edep in her throat, and cointued to circle him.

"Now let every man drink off his full bumper!"

While the female Blackstalker circled Xavier, charlie heard a noise- much like an infant sqeaking- off into the brush, which he quickly investigated. The female suddenly stared straigh at charlie, and charged ahead. Animals may have the tendacy to leave him alone, but not wehen it's a mother blackstalker- notorius for defending their young- doing just that. Charlie spun around just in time to see the blackstalker racing at him, and yelled.

"Grandpa!"

Xavier raised his rifle in the direction of his grandson's yell.

"And let every man drink off his full glass!"

The old man fired, and a dart shot through the air at high speeds, hitting the mother Blackstalker in the rump just before she went for Charlie's throat.

 

[Mrrew]

Charlie exhaled an extended breath as he watched the blackstalker hit the ground, while Xavier walked over, still singing.

"For we will be jolly, and drown melencholy!"

And Charlie heard the noise again. He spuna round, and begun rooting around in the foliage for a few moemnts, following hte sound ofg the sqeaking. And then he knew why the blackstalkers were here. There was a shallow byurrow in the ground, surrounded by rocks and leaves. And in the burrow sat several blackstalker pups, at least five of them. Charlie smiled wide. They n eeded six blackstalkers for the contract, and they had more then enough. They'd make the credits!

"With a health and a joy of a true hearted soul!"

Xavier walked over to his grandson with a huge smile adorning his face as he finished his song. "Good hunt, m'boy!"

 

[Mrrew]

It dind't take long for them to round up the tranqulized blackstalkers and the pups, and call Henry to start loadinbg them into the freighter. Soon they were all tranqulized, double for the adult ones, annd locked in one of the back rooms of the freighter for transport to teh Beast Hunter's Guild headquarters. It was a good hunt, and it would earn them enough credits to keep going until the next hunt. Plus, Charlie thought, We helped the farmer. He just hoped that next time hiis grandfather would pick something a little less deadly to hunt. Something that wouldn't try to kill them. Like Ropos, or Can-cells.

 

[Mrrew]

So now the pair flew off from Iri. Well, jerked off. Xavier continued to try his best to steer the ship into orbhit, while the Astrodroid cointued to beep his protest, and managed to keep them from crashing. Before long, they were in hyperspace again, heading to teh Beast Hunter Guild's headquartered to deliver the blackstalkers. And Xavier started his song again.

"Farewell and Adieu you fair Zeltron ladies! Farewell and Audieu you ladies of Zeltros! For we've recieved orders to fly back to Corusuant, and we may never see ye' fair ladies again!"